Fast Track Your Career With This Proven Method

You can do anything in your career, but to stay sane and get it done faster, you need systems.

The most successful companies are built around systems. People pay big money for franchises like McDonald’s because of their systems. Industries are revolutionized by systems. And yet, most of us don’t use systems to purposefully manage our day-to-day, let alone our career.

When applied to your big and bold career aspirations, systems eliminate guesswork, keep you laser-focused, and give you flexibility to course correct as your priorities change.

Systems are created when various pieces come together to form a unified whole. And isn’t that what you want: for the disparate elements of your career and life to work together in harmony?

Here’s why you need systems.

Systems Give You a Way to Explore Your Options Without Feeling Like You're All Over the Place

A career roadmap is an essential system when it comes to planning your career. It gives you freedom to think expansively while keeping you anchored to what's most important. You can creatively explore without drifting too far in the wrong direction.

Try this: Start your roadmap by defining the big “Why” behind your career aspirations. Once you know why a particular goal is important, you can consider all kinds of what, when, and how paths to get there.

This approach opens you up to options you might not have imagined, yet limits them to the ones that are right for you. And it's just one example of the many ways you can build structure and ease into your career planning.

Systems Align Your Career, Family, and Life Goals So They’re Pointing In the Same Direction

Successful systems keep your life and career goals working in concert.

Your career doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The confidence, energy, and success you have in your work life impact your personal life. When your career is on track, the world around you just seems brighter. When you're unhappy, it dims your outlook on everything.

Even if you’re really good at compartmentalizing, imagine having a career that actually enhances your personal life and vice versa.

You wouldn’t marry someone that didn’t support your values, give you space to pursue your passions, or challenge you to be the best version of yourself . . . so why would you settle for that in your career?

Build your systems so that your personal and professional goals are interdependent and complementary. Consider how they can cooperate rather than compete.

Systems Help You Celebrate Success in a Way That Motivates You to Do More

For those of you that place a high value on achievement (yes, I’m looking at you), you may be so focused on exceeding expectations that you forget to acknowledge your accomplishments. You deliver a ton, but the goal posts keep moving.

If you don’t pause to celebrate the wins, you risk feeling like you’re not progressing . . . or even question your path.

Sustainability is key. If you want an enduring, fulfilling, and successful career, it’s critical that you have systems in place to regularly gauge your progress and honor your successes.

To supercharge your success, celebrate the special things about you that make those accomplishments possible. What comes easily for you might be challenging, or even impossible, for someone else. Celebrate what you bring to the table, then apply those talents to even bigger goals.

Exercise: Jot down the biggest accomplishments in your life so far. Then write down what special qualities you have that made them happen. Add to the list every day for the next month. Let me know what happens.

Systems Up Your Career Game

Approach your career planning like an elite athlete would train, and make sure your systems include methods to:

Maximize your mental, physical, and emotional energy

Amass short-term wins and advance long-term strategy

Connect to the purpose and meaning behind your goals

Move through fear and build confidence

Keep you feeling supported and productive

Use Systems and Plan Your Career Like It’s Your Job

If you’re serious about making your career dreams a reality, systems can help you achieve more, faster. From evaluating options, to structuring your day, to moving forward in a way that feels good, systems make it that much easier. Build them into your strategy to guide you every step of the way.

The road to a career and life on your own terms can be long. There will be times of self-doubt and questioning. There will be times when you want to give up. It’s especially during those times that you want solid systems in place.

You can achieve everything you want in your career. Use systems to put yourself on the fast track to success.

What systems do you already use to help you plan your career? What systems are you ready to start using today?

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Author Bio:

Before becoming a coach, Caroline spent 20 years in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go.

Caroline wants women to recognize how much power they truly have to define their careers. The life and career you want really is possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading her free guide.

She’s also a tennis fanatic, aspiring Minimalist, FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) enthusiast, and Aloha Spirit seeker 🤙. She loves to share stories from her unconventional life and career focused on freedom, creativity, fun, health, family, and community. If she can do it, you can, too.